Modeling Study of Oxygen Permeation Through an Electronically Short-Circuited YSZ-Based Asymmetric Hollow Fiber Membrane

Here, oxygen fluxes through an electronically short-circuited asymmetric Ag-YSZ|YSZ|LSM-YSZ hollow fiber prepared via a combined spinning and sintering route were tested and correlated to an explicit oxygen permeation model. The average oxygen permeation through such asymmetric hollow fiber with a 27 mu m-thick YSZ dense layer reached 0.52 mL (STP) cm(-2) min(-1) at 1173 K. From the model results, we can obtain the characteristic thickness, the effects of the temperature, and the effect of He sweep gas flow rate to the individual step contribution. The oxygen partial pressure variation in the permeate side, the local oxygen flux, and the three-different resistance distribution along the axial direction of the asymmetric hollow fiber are theoretically studied; providing guidelines to further improve the membrane performance for oxygen separation. (C) 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE